Palestinian security forces hold parliament speaker

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian security forces on Wednesday prevented the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (parliament), Aziz Dwaik, from going to the West Bank city of Ramallah, amid tension over a recent court ruling dissolving the assembly.

“I was briefly held by security forces near the city of Bethlehem, which banned me from heading to Ramallah,” Dwaik told Anadolu Agency.

Dwaik was scheduled to hold a press conference outside the parliament headquarters in Ramallah to comment on a recent decision by the Palestinian Constitutional Court to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections within six months.

“I received a telephone call from a person who identified himself as an officer in the Palestinian intelligence service, who asked me to go to the headquarters of the General Intelligence in Hebron city,” he said.

Dwaik said he refused the order and decided to hold the press conference.

There was no comment from Palestinian authorities on the claim.

Last week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to implement the court ruling dissolving the Hamas-held parliament and holding new parliamentary elections within six months.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has denounced the decision, warning that Abbas' measures undermine all efforts aimed at healing Palestinian rift.